Means for the application of treatment media to elongate materials



July 9, 1968 w. s. HASLER ET Al. 3,391,551

MEANS FOR THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT MEDIA TO ELONGATE MATERIALS Filed Feb. ll. 1966 United States Patent O 3,391,551 MEANS FR THE APPLICATION OF TREATMENT MEDIA T ELONGATE MATERIALS William S. Hasler and Peter H. T. Dawson, Blackburn,

England, assignors to Singer-Cobble Limited, Blackburn, England Filed Feb. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 526,758 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 13, 1965, 6,312/65; Apr. 12, 1965, 15,355/65 9 Claims. (Cl. 68-20) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLUSURE The inventi-on is an apparatus for intermittently applying dyestuis at a treatment station to a yarn moving through a passageway in a housing. A feed conduit forms a junction with the passageway and the junction consti- `tutes the treatment station. Application of the dyestuts to the yarn is controlled by a valve which intermittently connects a low pressure source to the feed conduit.

The invention concerns a method and means lfor application of treatment media to elongate materials and has particular, though by no means exclusive reference to the application of dyestuffs to moving textile yarns.

It is the primary object of -the present invention to provide a method of and a means for applying dyestuifs to a moving yarn at spaced intervals along such yarn.

According to the present invention a method of applying treatment media to moving elongate materials includes the steps of feeding treatment media to a treatment station intermittently and subject to the influence of a pneumatic means and causing the material under processing to pass through such station thereby to take up treatment media at spaced intervals therealong consistent with the said Ifeed.

The pneumatic means may be utilised to assist in the 'feeding of media to the station or to facilitate the removal of such media from such station as required.

The invention also includes apparatus for practising the the method aforesaid which apparatus includes a treatment station through which a material under processing passes, means adapted to effect an intermittent feed of media to such station for application to the material at spaced intervals therealong, and pneumatic means arranged -to assist the application of mediato or .the removal of media from the station.

The pneumatic means may serve -to provide a reduced air pressure at the dye station or otherwise as preferred.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, only with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates two embodiments thereof, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective View of a tirst embodiment, the 4relative disposition of parts corresponding to a no-feed conditions of the structure; and

FIG. 2 is a corresponding View of a second embodiment, the structure likewise being in a no feed condition.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to IFIG. l thereof, a dyeing apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention for dyeing a travelling yarn comprises a body part 11, two vertically-spaced, horizontally disposed through bores 12, 13 in the said body part, a vertically disposed through bore 14, such bore 14 passing through each -of said bores 12, 13, a dyestuif reservoir from which dyestuif is fed to said vertical bore from below, and pneumatic means 1-6 arranged to apply a reduced pressure to the surface of the dyestuff in t-he vertical bore i14. The uppermost horizontal bore 3,391,55l Patented July 9, 1968 ice 12 receives a valve member 17, and said member 17 being a close but free fit in the said bore and having a reduced diameter portion 17a thereto. A flange 17b is provided at one end of the valve member, and a helical compression spriug 17C is positioned between the said iiange and the side of the body pa-rt, the spring serving to hold the valve member in an axial position corresponding to the closed condition of the valve (as shown); the other end of the valve member is so formed as to limit the return movement thereof after displacement against the spring In use, a yarn 1S under processing, for example, a carpet yarn in its passage fr-om a creel to a tufting machine, is passed continuously or discontinuously through the lower `bore 13 and a reduced 4air pressure lis created in the vertical bore 14 by the pneumatic means 16. By a periodic displacement of the valve member 17 so the reduced pressure in the vertical bore can be applied intermittently to the dyestuif in the bore, and thus such dyestuif can be caused to rise in the lower -part thereof and to a position where it will be applied to the yarn at the dye station 19.

The second embodiment is shown in FIG. 2, and will be seen to comprise a rigid body part 21, two spaced, parallel lbores 22, 23 extending horizontally through the said body part, a valve member 24, axially movable within the upper bore 22, the lower bore being arranged to receive the yarn 25 under processing, a vertically disposed dye feed bore 26 the axis of which lies in the plane defined by the axes of the said parallel bores, and actuator means 27 where -by thevalve member 24 is positionally adjustable relative to the bore 22 in which it is located.

The upper bore is of constant diameter throughout its length, and a slotted bush 28 is secured lto the body part 21 in axial alignment with the said bore.

The valve member 24 comprises a rod of a length in excess of the axial extent of the bore, the said rod being a close but free t within the bore and extending from thebore at each end thereof. That end 24a of the member extending into and through the bush 2S has a cap 29 applied thereto, the said cap 29 being counter-bored, as at 30, and defining together, with the member 24, an annular 4space 31 to receive la helical return spring 3-2, such spring 4being disposed between the outer end face 28a of the -bush and the inner end face 30a of the counter bore. A locating pin 33 is secured to the valve member and extends radially therefrom, such pin engaging the slot 28h in the bush and serving to dene the range of movement of the valve member relative to the bore in whichrit is located. The opposite end 24h of the valve member is formed with an axial bore 34 of such length as to reach, at its inner extremity a radial passage 35 in the valve member, such radial passage, in the closed position of the valve member relative -to the bore in which it is located, being in alignment with the lower part 26a of dye feed bore. A dye feed passage 24e extends diametrically through the valve member 24 at such axial position therealong as to be in alignment with the dye feed bore 26 in the open or feed position of the said member.

The actuator means 27 comprises a control cam or other suitable means arranged to adjust the position of the valve member 24 relative to the bore 22 in accordance with a predetermined cycle thus to place the dyestuff receiving cavity in communication with the dyestulf supply or not as desired.

In use the yarn 25 under processing will be caused to pass through the lower bore 23, a dyestutf will be fed to the dye feed bore 26, and the valve member 24 will be caused to move in accordance with a requisite cycle.

By applying a reduced pressure to the bore 34, with 3 the radial portion thereof aligned with bore 26, the accuracy of dyestuff application can be improved, such reduced pressure serving to remove excess dyestul from the bore 26a and from the dyes-tuff receiving cavity 38 thus avoiding contamination of dyestutf already present on the yarn from a previous dye station.

By arranging for the motion of the valve members to follow 4a predetermined sequence, dyestuff can be applied to the yarn at spaced intervals therealong according to a requisite pattern.

The displacement of the valve member as appearing in the two e-mbodiments may be effected in various ways. Thus, for example, any convenient form of patterning mechanism can be coupled to the valve member and can be arranged to effect axial displacement thereof according to any desired sequence.

The invention is not limited tothe exact features of the arrangements hereinbefore described since alternatives will readily present themselves to one skilled in the ant. Thus, for the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is required only that the pressure applied to the dyestui be varied so as to cause the dyestuif to rise to the dye station or to withdraw dyestuff from the dye station as and when desired. The former can be achieved either by applying an increased pressure to the dyestuff in the reservior or iby reducing the air pressure in the bore. The movement of the dyestuff up the bore can be further assisted, if desired, by reducing the diameter of the bore to such a degree that usecan be made of the capillary action of the dyestuff in the bore.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for applying treatment medi-a to moving elongate materials including a treatment station through which a material under processing passes, means adapted to effect an intermittent feed of media to such station for application to the material at spaced intervals therealong, and pneumatic means arranged to assist the application of media to or the removal of media from the station.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a feed conduit between the station and la source of reduced pressure, and means co-operating with the said conduit to control the application of the said pressure to the station.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the said co-ope'rating means comprises a displaceable valve member extending transversely of the said conduit and being so adapted and arranged as to be movable between a rst position in which the reduced pressure is applied to the station and a second position in which the said reduced pressure is not so applied.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said valve member has a reduced diameter portion thereto, the said portion being in register with the conduit in the rst position of the valvel member and out of register in the second said position.

5. Apparatus for applying treatment media to a moving elongate material which comprises a station through which material under processing is constrained to pass, a treatment media reservoir, a feed conduit between the said station and reservoir, land a pneumatic means adapted to apply a variable reduced pressure to the region of the station.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pneumatic means includes a displaceable valve member movable between rst and second positions in one of which it allows of the application of the reduced pressure -to the station.

7. Apparatus for applying treatment media to moving elongate materials including a treatment station through which a material under processing passes, means adapted to effect an intermittent feed of media to such station for application to the material at spaced intervals therealong, pneumatic means arranged to :assist the application of media to or the removal of media from the station, and a displaceable valve member adapted selectively to connect the station with a source of treatment media or of low pressure as required.

8. Yarn dyeing apparatus for applying dyestuffs at spaced intervals along a moving yarn which comprises a body part, a passageway in said body part through which a yarn under processing passes, a treatment station intermediate the ends of the said `body part, a iirst feed conduit extending between the said station and a source of reduced fluid pressure, a second feed conduit extending between said station and a dyestuif reservoir, land valve means in the rst said conduit operable to connect the station with the said source or not as required.

9. Apparatus for applying treatment media to moving elongate material, the apparatus comprising a housing having a passageway through which the moving elongate material passes;

a reservoir in the housing containing the treatment media;

a source of reduced pressure for raising the treatment media from the reservoir;

a feed conduit in Ithe housing connecting the source of reduced pressure and the reservoir, the feed conduit forming a junction with the Iaforesaid passageway; and

a valve for intermittently applying the reduced pressure from the source to the feed conduit to cause the treatment media to be drawn to the elongate material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,627,850 5/1927 Jennings 68-205 X 2,509,279 5/1950 Sisson. 2,568,499 9/ 1951 Hood.

WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Examiner. 

